As employers prepare for 2027 renewals, many will default to another annual cycle without closely examining whether their current programs are actually delivering value. But in a period of rising healthcare costs and increased scrutiny from finance and executive teams, renewal without review has become a growing risk.

For years, many benefits strategies were designed primarily around access and retention. Today, that’s no longer enough. Rising healthcare costs are forcing employers to take a more disciplined approach – one that requires benefits strategies to be measurable, defensible, and actively managed.

The question is no longer, “What do we offer?” it’s, “What is it delivering clinically, operationally, and financially?”

Too many vendors still rely on access metrics, enrollment figures, app downloads, or satisfaction scores that do little to explain whether a program is improving outcomes or reducing costs. In today’s environment, employers need a clear view of performance.

As Progyny’s 2027 benefits guide advises, a strong potential partner should be able to demonstrate:

• Clear attribution of costs savings and avoided high-cost claims
• Measurable improvements in clinical outcomes
• Transparent reporting methods
• A direct connection between care delivery and long-term cost containment

More vendors doesn’t always mean more value

Women’s health benefits that layer fertility, maternity, menopause, and other point solutions may expand access, but it rarely improves coordination, accountability, or cost control.

The women’s health benefits market is increasingly crowded with vendors that address a single issue or life stage, and while each may solve an important problem, together, they often create a fragmented experience for employees and a difficult ecosystem for employers to manage.

Vendor sprawl can lead to:

• Overlapping costs and redundant programs
• Fractured member experience
• Reduced visibility into what is and isn’t working
• Unclear ownership and limited accountability
• Greater administrative burden for HR and benefits teams

The result is often a complex benefits strategy that looks comprehensive on paper but makes it much harder to understand where cost, risk, and performance truly sit.

Ask yourself:

• Is vendor complexity masking underperformance?
• Are multiple solutions working together or against each other?
• Are we managing so many vendors we can’t hold them all fully accountable?
• Are we adding programs without improving outcomes?

Your biggest cost drivers may be hiding in plain sight

Fertility, maternity, and menopause are among the largest and least visible drivers of healthcare costs. When these needs are managed through disconnected vendors, employers often miss opportunities for early intervention, coordinated care, and prevention of avoidable high-cost claims.

An integrated approach can reduce these costs by improving care coordination, surfacing risk earlier, and creating a more connected experience across every stage of women’s health.

Programs that actively coordinate care across fertility, maternity, menopause, and related health needs are better positioned to improve outcomes while reducing long-term cost and operational complexity.

Five questions every employer should ask before renewing

As you prepare for renewal conversations or evaluate new vendors, pressure-test your current strategy with these five questions:

1. What are the greatest sources of cost and risk within this program?
2. How do you attribute ROI and cost savings to measurable clinical outcomes?
3. Are your reported results based on all members, or only a subset of data?
4. How do you coordinate care across fertility maternity, menopause, and related needs to reduce fragmentation?
5. What ongoing reporting, benchmarking, and performance reviews do you provide between renewals?

The strongest partners should be able to answer these questions clearly and confidently.

What accountability should look like

Accountability isn’t a once-a-year conversation. Strong vendor partnerships should include:

• Standardized reporting tied to clear outcomes
• Member-level insights and benchmarking
• Ongoing performance reviews, not just renewal discussions
• Transparency into where costs are rising, risks are emerging, and intervention is working
• A commitment to continuous optimization over time

Employers should expect more than selective reporting and success stories. Strong partners provide transparent, member-level reporting, benchmark performance over time, and demonstrate results across their full population, not just a small sample. Progyny independently validates outcomes across all member data rather than relying on self-reported results or a subset of members. Transparency gives employers confidence that reported outcomes are real, repeatable, and directly connected to value.

Cost management requires active partnership, not passive purchasing

As healthcare costs rise, employers can’t afford a “set it and forget it” approach to benefits. The most effective strategies actively manage care delivery, simplify the vendor ecosystem, and focus on long-term sustainability.

Organizations that take a proactive, integrated approach are better positioned to control costs, improve clinical outcomes, reduce operational complexity, and defend benefits investments to finance and executive teams.

Before your next renewal conversation, ask whether your current partners are helping you control cost, reduce risk, and deliver measurable value – or are they making it harder to see what’s working and what isn’t.

Ready to test your current approach?

Learn how benefits teams are containing costs and transforming women’s health with Progyny’s integrated model.

And, when you’re ready to start evaluating your fertility and women’s health vendors, check out our strategic benefits planning guide.

The post Don’t just renew—review! Key questions for vendor accountability appeared first on Progyny.

The women’s health benefits market has expanded rapidly and become increasingly fragmented. As workforce needs have evolved, many benefits leaders have found themselves caught in a cycle of adding new vendors in an effort to keep up. 

While well-intentioned, this approach has created new challenges. Vendor management has become complex, and the impact of these solutions is difficult to measure due to siloed platforms and a lack of member-specific outcomes data. 

This challenge is especially pronounced in women’s health — a complex, longitudinal area of care that spans multiple life stages, conditions, and care settings. Without a more integrated approach, it becomes even harder to deliver meaningful outcomes or understand what’s truly working. 

Why fragmented women’s health benefits are falling short 

While many vendors have expanded to offer broader solutions, most still operate within disconnected systems and experiences. The result is a fragmented ecosystem that places the burden of coordination on both employees and benefits leaders. 

For employers, managing these solutions can be complex: 

• Multiple vendor relationships, contracts, eligibility rules, and claims processes

• Limited visibility into outcomes and siloed data, making it difficult to assess value and ROI

• Increased administrative burden from managing disconnected experiences

For employees, fragmentation can make an already emotional and complex experience feel even more challenging. According to Progyny research, many report spending more time than expected trying to understand costs and coverage, navigate authorization requirements, and manage treatment logistics, all while facing the stress of potentially spending money on ineffective treatments or medications.  

Increased costs and reduced outcomes 

When care isn’t coordinated, employees are more likely to delay treatment, disengage from available resources, or miss opportunities for earlier intervention. Disconnected fertility and maternity support can contribute to higher-risk pregnancies, more avoidable complications, and increased medical spend.  

These poorer outcomes drive higher costs for both employees and employers. At the same time, siloed programs make it difficult for employers to identify trends, intervene earlier, and understand what is driving costs across their population. 

Integrated care models create a different dynamic. With connected care journeys, employers gain a more complete view of member needs and can better support earlier, more proactive care. 

The future is coordinated, outcomes-driven care

A unified women’s health benefit influences employee satisfaction, productivity, retention, and workforce participation. It also shapes how employees perceive their employer and whether they feel supported during critical life moments.  

The most effective models share several characteristics: comprehensive care across life stages, human-led support, transparent reporting, and accountability for outcomes. 

Progyny’s integrated solution delivers this through: 

• One trusted partner across fertility, maternity, menopause, and related care needs

• Access to specialized, high quality provider networks

• Human-led care, navigation, and coaching

• Technology-enabled navigation and insights 

• Robust, transparent data, reporting, and performance measurement 

• Accountability for both member experience and clinical outcomes 

Progyny members work with a dedicated Progyny Care Advocate who understands their history, helps them navigate care, and connects them to the right providers and support at the right time. 

The result is a better member experience and stronger outcomes. Progyny members experience: 

The future of women’s health benefits is not a collection of disconnected programs. It’s an integrated strategy designed to improve employee experience, strengthen outcomes, and deliver measurable business value. Employers that make the shift now will be better positioned to support their workforce — and compete for talent — in the years ahead.  

The post The future of women’s health benefits is integrated care appeared first on Progyny.

Healthcare is getting smarter.

AI is transforming how care is delivered, helping analyze data, identify patterns, and guide decision-making in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago. In women’s and family health, these technologies promise earlier insights, more personalized recommendations, and more connected experiences across fertility, pregnancy, parenting, and menopause.

That progress is meaningful. But it also raises an important question: as healthcare becomes more intelligent, is it also becoming more effective for the people it serves?

Because in women’s and family health, tech alone isn’t enough. It doesn’t account for what it feels like to navigate a pregnancy loss, to have symptoms dismissed for years, or to face the uncertainty and isolation when trying to conceive shifts from something expected to something uncertain.

Women’s health isn’t a point solution

Women’s and family health spans years, often decades, of evolving needs. From fertility and pregnancy to parenting and menopause, these aren’t isolated clinical events. They’re interconnected experiences that require coordination, continuity, and support over time.

For example, a fertility journey doesn’t end with a positive pregnancy test. It can carry into high-risk pregnancy care, postpartum recovery, and even long-term health considerations. Similarly, symptoms dismissed earlier in life can resurface later as more complex conditions, requiring a deeper understanding of a person’s history.

The complexity behind the clinical and emotional decisions people are making at each stage is best met with both tech and human-centered support.

When benefits treat these stages as separate events rather than a continuous journey, it can lead to missed risk signals, more reactive care, and a more fragmented member experience.

Where AI excels—and where human-centered care matters most

AI is improving access to information and helping streamline care. It can surface insights, identify patterns, and suggest the next best actions grounded in clinical guidelines and member-specific context. And while it certainly unlocks meaningful new capabilities and reach, it’s best done in connection with human expertise, care, and support.

1. Context

AI is great at recommending next steps based on data, surfacing signals, and suggesting the next best actions grounded in clinical guidelines and member-specific context. These recommendations are most effective when they’re interpreted and applied within the context of each individual’s needs.

Human expertise is critical to fully extend support and understand context—why someone may hesitate, what constraints they’re facing, or how personal, financial, and cultural factors shape decisions.

In women’s and family health, context directly impacts outcomes, and translating insights into the right action requires both technology and expert guidance.

2. Trust

Decisions across fertility, pregnancy, and menopause are complex and deeply personal. Trust isn’t built through recommendations alone. It’s built through consistent, informed guidance and the ability to ask questions, validate concerns, and make decisions with confidence.

3. Advocacy

AI is able to guide someone through options and surface the right next steps, and translating those insights into the right decisions and actions often requires an additional layer of advocacy and support.

In high-stakes moments, support is best when it can extend beyond direction to active guidance and advocacy.

Navigation is only part of the solution

AI has made it easier to navigate healthcare, helping people find providers, understand options, and move through the system more efficiently. That matters. But navigation alone doesn’t ensure better outcomes or better experiences.

Knowing where to go doesn’t mean someone feels confident in what to do next, especially when decisions are complex or emotionally charged. That’s where human support becomes essential—bridging the gap between insight and action.

The limitations of a purely digital model

As healthcare becomes more technology-driven, care is often treated as a coordination problem. How does women’s and family health best fit into these workflows? How are we creating the right workflows and environments for women’s health to thrive?

When care becomes too transactional, context can be overlooked, decisions can become oversimplified, and member experience can suffer.

Engagement alone isn’t a proxy for outcomes. Care models need to be designed to support both. Because no model can predict what matters most to a person in that moment.

AI works best when it supports care

AI has a clear role to play in improving women’s and family health. It can help identify risks earlier, streamline access to care, and surface insights that improve decision-making. Used well, it can make care more efficient, more personalized, and more scalable.

When applied thoughtfully, AI is able to surface signals earlier and anticipate member needs, enabling more proactive, anticipatory, and personalized care across the member journey. This creates an opportunity not just for better coordination, but for earlier intervention and stronger outcomes.

This also reduces the inefficiencies and added costs that often come from fragmented, point-solution approaches. Its value is maximized when it supports a broader care model, not when it replaces it.

The most effective approach combines technology with human-centered care:

• Continuous relationships: Dedicated support that understands the full member journey and provides continuity across life stages
• Integrated guidance: Clinical, emotional, and practical needs addressed together, not in isolation
• Active support and advocacy: Helping members navigate decisions, interpret care, and access the right resources at the right time

This allows care teams to focus on higher-value, human-led support—guiding decisions, building trust, and supporting members through complex moments.

In this model, technology enhances care delivery and frees clinical experts and care advocates to focus on what matters most: supporting the person behind the data.

The bottom line

AI will continue to play a growing role in healthcare, and in women’s and family health, better technology works best when paired with the right support. Because the most important question isn’t just, “What’s the next step?” It’s also, “Is there the right support in place to help someone take it?”

At Progyny, we believe the future of women’s and family health is both intelligent and deeply human, where technology helps anticipate needs, and people provide the context, trust, and advocacy that turn insight into meaningful outcomes.  

To learn more about how Progyny supports women’s and family health, connect with our team.

The post What AI gets right—and what it can’t replace in women’s and family health appeared first on Progyny.

Nine months of pregnancy build up to the delivery, the climax of a long period of anticipation, change, and growth. With so much focus on conceiving, then fetal development, weekly physical changes, and regular prenatal visits, 40 weeks starts to look a lot like the finish line. On the contrary, maternal care is only just beginning!

With the challenges and uncertainties the “fourth trimester” can bring, it’s essential that women receive physical, mental, and emotional support during this monumental transition. Postpartum care is a necessary extension of prenatal care, serving to support women’s bodily and mental health needs and grow their confidence through recovery.

In the U.S., one in every six dollars of employer spend on inpatient healthcare goes toward maternity services, and a single pregnancy episode (prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care) in the employer-sponsored insurance population costs on average about $25k per pregnancy, underscoring the importance of comprehensive postpartum care. Supporting birthing parents before, during, and after delivery improves maternal health and wellbeing and drives stronger outcomes like lower costs and reduced complications. And focusing on foundational, long-term health enables a more supported workforce.

Postpartum specialty support

In those first few months postpartum, women may experience both physical and mental health challenges. Physical recovery is compromised by complications such as infection, hypertension, or challenges with healing and breastfeeding, while about one in five experience a mental health disorder like postpartum depression or anxiety.

A trusted community is critical for empowering mothers with both clinical support and postpartum education.

Progyny anchors care in continuity and trust with a dedicated nurse Progyny Care Advocate (PCA), who has experience in labor and delivery and postpartum, for each member. The relationship provides personalized, one-on-one, ongoing monthly support for members through fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond, guiding navigation and education about treatment, providers, and benefits. Members don’t have to retell their story—their PCA knows it, knows them, bringing both comfort and empowerment.

OBs and midwives

Members have options for OBs and midwives, which they select based on pregnancy risks, personal preference, hospital affiliation, or other factors. Postpartum, these providers monitor for preeclampsia and other health risks, as well as provide emotional support and information about contraception. Most importantly, these long-term providers listen, take concerns seriously, and explain things in a clear way to facilitate educated decision-making, ensuring mom and baby are healthy and getting the clinical support they need.

Doulas

Doulas provide additional support to postpartum moms, offering non-clinical guidance through regular check-ins via telehealth or in-person care. They offer newborn or maternal education, benefits and system navigation, and next steps on the care journey including postpartum visits. Doula care is associated with decreased rates of preterm births, C-sections, and postpartum depression. In fact, outcomes improvement has been so significant, a major insurance company just added a nationwide doula benefit, with plans to make access widespread for all its employer-sponsored plans in 2027.

Lactation consultants

Lactation consultants (IBCLCs) are also vital members of the postpartum care team, supporting and educating mothers on what I often see to be an emotionally charged journey. From initial instruction on latch, pumping, or supply issues, to returning to work and introducing formula or solid foods, these feeding experts are trained to collaborate with team members and support what is best for each mother. IBCLCs support breastfeeding goals, and new parents are relieved to discover that they also support reality. Whether it’s exclusive breastfeeding, combination feeding, or formula, the priority is ensuring parents are informed and feel confident in their decision-making.

Mental health matters

With the postpartum period’s major hormonal, emotional, and social shifts, mental health support from the care village is just as important as the physical recovery. In the U.S., approximately 85% of those affected by maternal depression during the postpartum period don’t get treated. This huge gap underscores why screening—and integrated care pathways that proactively connect members to support—is critical to improving outcomes.

Instead of treating mental health like something that “goes wrong,” Progyny believes in routine screenings built into the program structure. By removing the stigma, we don’t force anyone to raise her hand or remain in the untreated majority. One of our members was recently struggling, and a PCA assessment right away identified postpartum depression. Thankfully, because of this proactive screening and warm transfer to the appropriate care, she got the help she needed quickly. We can influence outcomes by addressing challenges before they escalate. By ensuring members feel cared for and supported clinically, mentally, and emotionally, a positive postpartum experience and stronger foundation for long-term family health becomes possible.

The team approach

While each care team member addresses a different aspect of postpartum health and recovery, the collaborative, cohesive nature of the village helps moms feel thoroughly cared for. Each specialty is connected and communicating, while listening to the patient at the center. The goal is for mother and baby to be healthy, and for members to be empowered to advocate for their evolving needs in the months after birth.

The entire postpartum experience is smoother when the birthing parent’s physical, mental, and emotional needs are integrated in the greater context of health and well-being. Progyny’s approach aligns not only pre-conception, prenatal, postpartum, and menopause care, it takes into context each member’s unique experience in the broader healthcare benefits ecosystem. In a crowded landscape of disparate care services and apps, we remain committed to supporting members through evidence-based, compassionate care—and helping members, providers, and employers navigate the incredibly meaningful time following the baby’s arrival.

For more information, view our webinar on postpartum care.

The post Postpartum Care: Supporting Health, Empowering Families, and Embracing the Value of Doulas appeared first on Progyny.

By Russ Freyman, Group Vice President, Mid-Market Sales, Progyny 

Family building benefits have become table stakes. But for mid-sized employers, they’re also becoming a major source of complexity and risk, as benefit leaders are being asked to deliver enterprise-level benefits without enterprise-level resources.

If this isn’t difficult enough, today’s employee base is more informed and opinionated than ever about their health and wellness needs. I’ve spoken to candidates and former colleagues, for example, who won’t even consider joining an organization that does not adequately support family building.

Meeting the needs of employees while ensuring benefit programs do not break the bank has led many organizations to add a patchwork of point solutions, each of which comes with their own set of promises. Unfortunately, these additions also create unintended complexity, like:

• Operational strain, as HR teams juggle multiple vendors and solutions;
• Limited visibility into what’s actually driving healthcare spend;
• Inconsistent employee experiences, forcing individuals to navigate complicated, high‑stakes decisions on their own.

And when the data from various solutions doesn’t talk to one another, it becomes just about impossible to:

• Evaluate quality;
• Identify opportunities for early intervention;
• Predict and manage future costs.

Fragmentation doesn’t only create administrative burden for under‑sized HR teams; it also increases financial risk, limits cost predictability, and leaves employees searching for the right level of care during some of the most emotional and complicated moments in their lives—when clarity and support matter most.

Most mid-sized employers with whom I speak recognize these issues, but unraveling the status quo and finding something better is not necessarily simple. This is where an integrated approach makes a meaningful difference. By bringing women’s health, family building, and high‑risk maternity together, Progyny can help mid-sized employers reduce complexity and program spend while delivering a more seamless experience for employees.

Want a deeper look?

Dive deeper here and download The case for an integrated model explainer for a clear breakdown of today’s challenges and a framework for simplifying family building and women’s health benefits.

The post The growing complexity of women’s health and family building benefits for mid-sized employers appeared first on Progyny.

This webinar featured:

• Lissa Kline, LCSW, Senior VP at Progyny

• Dr. Whitney Booker, MD, MS, Maternal & Fetal Medicine

• Melanie Silverman, IBCLC, RD, Chief Clinical Officer at Pacify

• Rachel Carbonneau, CD, CPD, VP of Doula Programs at Pacify

Understanding Care Specialties

Each care specialty serves a different purpose with one shared goal: to ensure you and your baby are healthy, safe, and comfortable.

Your OB and picking the right one for you:

An OB is responsible for monitoring the health of both the birthing parent and the baby, identifying complications, and helping families understand what’s normal versus what’s concerning. Beyond medical checks, OBs also play a vital role in emotional reassurance and mental health support. When searching for an OB, finding a provider who you trust and can have open communication with is key. If something doesn’t feel right, getting a second opinion or choosing to switch providers is normal.

It’s important to note that there are different types of providers you may engage with, each bringing their own strengths and backgrounds. These include different levels of physicians (residents and attendings), nurse practitioners, physician assistants (PAs), and midwives. Understanding the strengths of each provider and how they’re supporting you can help you feel more confident and at ease. Your OB and clinical providers are also there to continue supporting you in the postpartum phase.

The role of a doula and the different types:

There are a wide range of doulas depending on the type of care you’re looking for and what part of your journey you’re in. From fertility, pregnancy, and birth to postpartum, doulas can provide both in-person and virtual services. Doulas offer emotional, mental, and physical support across your journey. They help families navigate the healthcare system, prepare questions for providers, clarify goals at each stage, and build confidence.

Doulas do not serve the same purpose as midwives. While midwives are clinical providers, doulas do not provide medical checks. Instead, they act as coaches who advocate for the birthing parent and families throughout each stage. They are compassionate guides who help clarify goals, and choosing a doula you trust and connect with is vital to feeling heard and supported.

The role of a lactation consultant:

Lactation consultants support families even before feeding begins by providing guidance on feeding basics, setting expectations, and connecting families to the right resources. Feeding can be an emotional experience, and having a compassionate professional guide can ease the mental burden. After birth, unexpected challenges may arise, and lactation consultants can help with latching issues, pain, milk supply concerns, and formula-related questions.

Lactation consultants are trained to support weaning and formula feeding and should never shame families for choosing a path different from breastfeeding.

Pregnancy: What should you expect and how can you prepare?

Pregnancy is a different experience for everyone, and the experience also differs for each pregnancy. Building your care village with a team of professionals is important but talking to trusted friends and family if you’re struggling emotionally, or talking to a therapist or counselor is valuable to support your holistic care. Check in early for your mental health and well-being, or if you’re the supportive partner, friend, or family member, offer a compassionate hand or listening ear when they need it.

What to expect at your first OB appointment, and throughout pregnancy:

Your first visit can be information-heavy, so bringing something to write with or coming in with questions can be helpful. Your provider will review medical history, explain testing options, ultrasound schedules, and set expectations for care. Being comfortable with your provider and not being afraid to openly communicate with them and ask what the purpose of a lab or test is for can help ease anxiety.

After the first appointment, your provider will monitor you and your baby’s health, including your mental and emotional well-being. New parents may develop anxiety or mood swings as a symptom of hormone fluctuations, sleep disturbances, or reminders of past grief. Along with routine blood pressure checks, ultrasounds, and labs, monitoring your emotional well-being is just as important as the physical.

How can families advocate for equitable, respectful care?

Advocacy starts with asking questions, requesting clarification, and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right. Key strategies include bringing a support person to visits, requesting a translator when needed, writing down questions between appointments, finding a provider who you feel comfortable and safe with to ask questions when something doesn’t feel right, and incorporating a doula who will help advocate for you throughout your journey.

Translating your birth preferences with the help of a doula:

Doulas help families figure out what their birth preferences are: whether that’s more intervention earlier, more medical oversight, delaying procedures that aren’t immediately necessary, and so on. A large part of the doula role is communication with your care team, who will help translate your preferences so you can receive care that feels good to you. There might be additional cultural barriers, language barriers, etc. where your doula can step in and make sure you are fully heard.

How expecting parents can prepare for feeding:

Getting the right resources and reliable education while pregnant is essential for managing expectations while feeding. Understanding milk physiology and newborn feeding patterns helps to alleviate early worries.

Postpartum: What should families expect in the fourth trimester?  

What postpartum medical care looks like, and acknowledging postpartum depression:

The postpartum experience varies widely based on delivery and number of births, and physical recovery may take anywhere from weeks to months. Your OB can help manage expectations and make sure you’re recovering well.

Having a newborn can bring a whirlwind of emotions. You might be sleep deprived, feel physically exhausted, feel overwhelmed, or feel isolated. If you’re struggling postpartum, reaching out to a mental health professional is completely normal, and letting your care provider know what’s going on can help you determine if you’re struggling with postpartum depression.

The doula’s role in postpartum:

Doulas are often recognized for the birth, but they’re here for every phase through pregnancy and postpartum. You can reach out to your doulas for virtual appointments, where they can offer encouragement, give you resources, help you connect with other resources within your community, and validate the feelings that you’re having. Postpartum doulas can also provide in-home care in certain cases, and help with guidance on newborn care, overnight support, and more.

Lactation support after birth:

After birth, lactation consultants help families take feeding “one session at a time.” They normalize early challenges, help parents problem‑solve, and prioritize mental health. Sometimes reassurance or flexibility, such as pausing breastfeeding or adjusting methods, brings significant relief. If you’re having anxiety about feeding your baby, going to your OB and pediatrician visits to know your baby is at a healthy weight can help ease unnecessary mental stress.

If you are a Progyny member, know that Progyny is always here to support you across life’s milestones, and you can access additional resources at progyny.com/education.

Progyny members can contact Progyny at 888.597.5065 or via their employer specific phone number to learn more about your employer-specific benefit and available care options.

The post Your Pregnancy and Postpartum Care Village appeared first on Progyny.

Childbirth has been a joyful event for generations. A range of celebratory activities from cultural and religious traditions to baby showers have long supported maternal and child wellbeing. Babies often evoke deep and overwhelming emotions that surprise parents and observers alike.

At Progyny, we built our foundation on helping women and families achieve their dreams of having children through our industry-leading fertility offering. But while society has long romanticized mothers’ swelled bellies and swaddled newborns, the joy is sometimes truncated by the sad reality of poor maternal health outcomes.

Looking at the reality   

As a woman, doctor, and informaticist, I have a strong passion for women’s health, and maternal health is an area I have explored widely since medical school. This interest was fueled by the unfortunate reality that most maternal deaths and complications are preventable. Globally, maternal mortality is “unacceptably high” with 92% of maternal deaths occurring in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed many cases of maternal deaths, near misses, and complications firsthand. It was surprising to learn after moving here over a decade ago that the U.S. lags many of its counterparts in maternal health outcomes. For example, U.S. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is double that of most OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. It’s critical that we increase awareness of the data and the reality of the situation so that we can then identify solutions for change.

A need for change

At the start of 2026, we were hit with the heart-wrenching news about Dr. Janell Green Smith, CNM, a Black midwife and maternal health expert in South Carolina, who died from childbirth complications, one of the outcomes she had dedicated her career to preventing. Her heartbreaking story is all too common. The most recent data for pregnancy-related mortality rates shows 18.4 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S. and shows vast disparities including 45 for non-Hispanic Black women.

In 2025 I published an article that traces my origins in Nigeria through building a family, detailing stats on maternal mortality and morbidity and disparities. I’ve learned one thing for sure: we must do better! The research and becoming a mother myself have unearthed nuances of systemic successes and failures that I apply every day to do my part in elevating the standard of care, improving experiences, and shifting maternal health metrics in the right direction.

A hard look at morbidity 

Maternal mortality is a pressing issue, but morbidity has significant health consequences. For every pregnancy-related death, there are about 70 cases of severe maternal morbidity. Complex contributing factors, often interconnected, can be delineated as systemic (physician/midwife ratio, reimbursement, maternity deserts, hospital incentives, policies and procedures, bias and discrimination, and SDOH, to name a few), and individual health factors, e.g., poor health prior to conception including chronic diseases like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, and advancing maternal age. These health factors contribute to common pregnancy-related complications including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia/eclampsia, sepsis, hemorrhage, and preterm birth. Further, cardiovascular disease and mental health diseases are some of the most common pregnancy complications. With a need to improve care of both moms and babies, a stronger preventive and postpartum focus will ensure better outcomes.

Cost considerations for employers

Poor maternal health remains stuck in a vicious cycle with high costs. Care access challenges are prevalent amid high medical expenses and poor outcomes. Even as many U.S. employers provide medical coverage and leave benefits, care continues to lag with costs soaring. For U.S. births, it’s estimated that total maternal morbidity costs were $32.3 billion from conception through the child’s fifth birthday. And while Medicaid on the average finances 41% of U.S. births, the remaining costs fall on patients, charitable organizations, and – primarily – private health insurers, through which employers bear the brunt. A recent survey projects a 9.1% increase in healthcare expenses for 2026, with some employers facing double-digit hikes. Maternity and neonatal costs are the second highest cost driver for employers. Still, the outcomes show insufficient support for mothers.

Advancing and supplementing medical care options

The key to both improving maternal health outcomes and lowering spend is enabling early, connected care through innovative solutions across fertility, maternity, and postpartum with clinical and non-clinical support. Alignment among care providers supports health goals, chronic disease management, care navigation, education, social needs, and continuous provision of evidence-based care. Consistent, integrated care must span from pre-conception through postpartum so providers can proactively identify and manage risks, track results, and optimize health outcomes.

With training and work in health informatics, I also recognize the power of data and technology-enabled innovation to reshape the women’s health journey. Despite promises, disparate one-click health apps or solutions can’t successfully support end-to-end medical needs; they create more fragmentation in care. To improve outcomes, we must harness value at the intersection of research, health, and technology, solving issues relating to data fragmentation, education, and communication via durable, comprehensive solutions that make a lasting impact.

Intentional change for a more joyful future 

Growing families require the collective effort of healthcare providers, policymakers, and employers to close gaps in maternal health globally. Advocacy, technology, and action for health and equity have evidence for impact. Maternal health must be grounded in trusted, expert guidance, personalized for each patient’s needs throughout their entire journey. Through delivery of compassionate, comprehensive, connected care, let’s intentionally restore joy in childbirth experiences.

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As healthcare costs continue to rise at the steepest rate in more than a decade, employers are being forced to rethink how benefits strategies are evaluated, defended, and sustained. In this environment, women’s health has emerged as a critical employee priority and a significant financial lever, influencing maternity costs, chronic conditions, productivity, retention, and long-term medical spend. 

In the past, many benefits strategies were built primarily for access and retention. Planning for 2027 will require a sharper focus on performance. 

From access to accountability  

Women’s health is multifaceted, spanning reproductive years, family building, maternity, menopause, chronic conditions, and preventive care. Too often, employers address this complexity by layering solutions, which expands access without improving coordination, outcomes, or cost control.

This results in a fragmented ecosystem that increases administrative burden, obscures ROI, and allows risk to accumulate quietly rather than appear as an immediate crisis. 

For 2027, the question is no longer: “What do we offer?” It is: “What does this deliver (clinically, operationally, and financially)?” 

Why performance must be measurable to be defensible

In a budget-constrained environment, benefits decisions must be able to withstand review from finance leaders, consultants, and executive teams. Programs that rely only on engagement metrics or self-reported satisfaction are difficult to justify.

Strong women’s health strategies leave visible signals:

• Clear attribution of cost containment and avoided high-cost claims

• Measurable improvements in clinical outcomes and risk mitigation

• Simplified operational processes

• Accountable and transparent reporting that supports forecasting and long-term planning

These signals distinguish programs that actively manage cost and risk.

Where cost containment and high member value meet

The greatest opportunities for value in women’s health are in areas that influence the severity, duration, and downstream cost of care. Fertility, maternity, and menopause consistently represent outsized financial exposure when left unmanaged or fragmented across vendors.

Solutions that deliver high quality, equitable care across life stages while coordinating navigation, clinical oversight, and reporting are better positioned to reduce quiet inefficiencies that compound over time.

A framework for asking better questions in 2027 planning

To help employers and consultants navigate this shift, Progyny has developed a strategic planning guide that outlines 10 essential questions to ask during benefits planning sessions, along with guidance on what strong answers should include. 

Rather than focusing on features or access alone, the framework is designed to help organizations evaluate: 

• Where the largest cost and risk drivers truly sit 

• How outcomes and ROI are measured and attributed 

• Whether vendor sprawl is diluting performance 

• How care is delivered, coordinated, and supported at scale 

• What signals indicate readiness for sustainable cost control 

This guide supports disciplined, defensible decision-making and will help organizations pressure-test whether their current strategy is built for the realities of 2027.

The strongest benefits strategies are not defined by the number of programs offered. They are defined by how clearly performance, outcomes, and financial impact can be measured, managed, and sustained over time.

As employers prepare for 2027, asking better questions is the first step toward building a women’s health strategy that delivers both measurable ROI and meaningful employee impact. 

Sign up to get the guide

Download Progyny’s guide, Strategic questions for 2027 benefits planning: Driving value amid rising healthcare costs, and use it to support your next planning conversation.

The post What questions should employers ask when planning women’s health benefits for 2027? appeared first on Progyny.

The differentiator that matters most is outcomes. And outcomes require a partner that can deliver proven, repeatable clinical results at scale.  

Why independent, verified outcomes matter  

Engagement rates or survey results do offer directional insight, but they’re not true outcomes metrics. Benefits and finance leaders need verifiable proof that a program leads to healthier pregnancies, fewer complications, and reduced high-cost claims. 

Progyny is the only solution to independently validate outcomes for its entire Book of Business and all members, without common reporting pitfalls such as sample bias, self-reported data, and projections. Progyny outpaces national benchmarks on every key marker of fertility success:

• 12% higher pregnancy rate per IVF transfer 

• 21% lower miscarriage rate 

• 23% higher live birth rate among embryo transfers 

• 41% fewer retrievals per live birth 

• 22% higher single embryo transfer (SET) rate 

• 61% lower IVF multiples rate 

These outcomes directly influence the cost curve and give consultants and employers transparent results they can apply to budget planning. Higher success rates, fewer multiples, and a shorter time to pregnancy reduce the medical severity and total cost per birth at a time when maternity costs are surging and plan expenses are projected to rise 6–9% in 2026. 

Outcomes over add-ons  

A significant portion of the women’s health market is made up of point solutions, functioning as add-ons, increasing administrative complexity without meaningfully reducing the number or severity of high-risk episodes. 

Progyny takes the opposite approach. Its model is the only one to manage cost for the entire benefit, with an outcomes-driven benefit design, managed network of top providers, integrated Rx, specialized utilization management (UM), and clinically integrated member support, ensuring that clinical outcomes are what drive value. 

How Progyny’s model manages the total cost of care 

Progyny’s benefit is engineered to function as a cost trend lever, not an incremental benefit. Several components work together to reduce spend across the fertility-to-maternity continuum: 

1. Outcomes-built benefit design reduces treatment intensity and medication costs 

Smart Cycle bundling includes all necessary services, medications, and testing for a treatment episode, eliminating the incentive to cut corners or repeat ineffective care. Better outcomes mean: 

• Fewer treatment cycles 

• Fewer medications 

• Lower utilization and reduced waste 

• Faster path to healthy pregnancies

2. Direct contracting, a tightly managed provider network, and UM ensures/manages quality 

Progyny maintains the industry’s largest actively managed women’s health network — over 1,100 providers at over 650 locations — with NCQA-accredited credentialing, best-practice standards, and transparent outcomes reporting.

Additionally, Progyny’s UM approach enables adherence to clinical best practice which drives optimal outcomes and cost savings. 

3. Progyny Rx reduces medication waste and drives increased savings

Progyny applies unique waste‑management protocols that save employers an incremental 10% by dispensing medications based on real‑time dosing needs rather than bulk prescriptions. This ensures members receive only what’s necessary while minimizing excess medication and reducing overall spend. 

4. Connected Progyny Care Advocate (PCA) coaching mitigates risk early and reduces downstream medical spend 

Dedicated PCAs who are licensed nurses, clinical social workers and other experts with clinical and/or occupational experience and proactively support members, facilitating seamless coordination with in-network providers while delivering concierge-level support and reducing avoidable complications that drive the highest-cost claims. 

5. A single accountable partner improves visibility and vendor efficiency 

Progyny consolidates multiple women’s health needs — from preconception through postpartum and menopause — into one integrated, outcomes-centered model. This strengthens reporting, simplifies administration, and ensures cost control across the entire journey. 

Progyny’s model results in consistent, repeatable outcomes, not variation that inflates cost and complexity. Simplification without compromise is possible when a single accountable partner is responsible for outcomes, cost management, and member experience.  

Progyny isn’t an add-on; it’s an outcomes engine that helps employers control spend where it matters most.  

The post How fertility outcomes reduce high-cost maternity claims —and help employers bend the 2026 trend appeared first on Progyny.

The Motley Fool is committed to best-in-class benefits for their workforce. Since partnering with Progyny in 2022, they have celebrated 12 Progyny babies and continue to expand support for their employees across pregnancy, postpartum, and midlife care.

“At the end of the day, this is literally a life-changing benefit for someone….this is a way to offer [support for the] whole life cycle.”

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